Sunshine Secret
by aonalion
Summary: Jonouchi is working at a fancy hotel during the summer, and who's staying there if not the infamous Kaiba Seto? Two-shot, Kaiba X Jonouchi
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** This is another story I wrote while I was away XD  
>It's inspired by me being in Turkey, 'Dirty Dancing' and the song 'Just can't get enough' by Black Eyed Peas, haha.<p>

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><p>One week after school ended for summer, very early in the morning, Jonouchi got on a train heading to the south part of Japan. He had managed to get a summer job at a fancy hotel down there and would be living there during the time he worked there as well. He had an odd feeling the servants' quarters would be better than his actual apartment, but decided not to care about it and simply enjoy instead. He was well-paid.<p>

Once he got there he went through a short course in how to act, where he learned a little English and how to behave towards the guests. After that it was time to get to work. Jonouchi's job was to act as an all-around and help out where he was needed; he sometimes made the dishes in the kitchen, acted as a waiter or towel-boy; sometimes he had to clean the rooms and other times he helped out in the day-center where the parents could leave their children over the day or a few hours.

Not that there were a lot of children; the hotel was extremely expensive and most of the guests were foreigners from all over the world wishing to see Japan. Jonouchi silently thought to himself that the hotel hardly represented Japan – not with its Mexican and Italian restaurant, Finnish sauna, Brazilian show and French wines – but said nothing, since he didn't have the right to.

The first day Jonouchi's first job was as a towel-boy, where he basically walked around the pool and asked the people there whether they wanted a towel or not. It was tedious work, especially since most of the guests were rather rude and snappy towards a simple towel-boy. Jonouchi was glad he didn't understand most of their English remarks about his behavior and/or appearance.

Jonouchi had just about finished walking around the pool once when he saw something that made his heart skip a beat; a very familiar brunet sitting in the shade of a parasol. He didn't look as if he had been there for long; he was just as pale as ever, except it showed more now that he didn't wear anything but a pair of swimming trunks.

The blond silently cursed his own bad luck but there was nothing he could do – he had to serve the guests, otherwise he'd get fired. And he really needed the money. Hiding behind the pile of towels he was carrying, he approached the brunet, but not until he had asked everyone else around the pool.

"Towel, sir?" he asked, in English, and straining himself not to let his accent show through.

The brunet reached up and took a towel from the top of the pile, but doing so he pushed it down until Jonouchi's face was revealed. The blond was sure he did it on purpose, and grimaced a little when his eyes were exposed. Amused blue eyes met his own.

"Working during the summertime, are we, puppy?" he wondered, in Japanese.

"Technically I'm not supposed ta talk wit' the guests," Jonouchi informed him but kept his voice down. "Ya got yer towel n' I'm leavin' now."

Kaiba chuckled quietly but let him go. Jonouchi could feel the brunet's gaze on his back as he walked away but tried not to care. He wasn't as embarrassed as he thought he'd be; Kaiba didn't seem like he'd mock him for having a job, not even a low-life one like being a towel-boy. Still, Jonouchi couldn't help but wonder how long the brunet had been there, and how long he was staying. Jonouchi would be there more or less the whole summer after all.

Jonouchi didn't see Kaiba again until that same night, when he was working at the main restaurant, as a waiter. Just as it was his turn to lead the guests to their tables, the brunet appeared at the doors. He wasn't dressed in his usual white coat, but in a pair of jeans and a simple shirt; and yet he still looked as sharp as ever. His eyes swept over the restaurant and took in every single little detail in one gaze, which Jonouchi saw from where he was standing over by the waiters' table. It was so typically Kaiba.

With a sigh Jonouchi grabbed a menu and walked up to the brunet.

"Table for one, sir?" he asked, in Japanese, with a rather forced smile.

"Yes," Kaiba responded and seemed just as amused as before. "So you're working here now?" He kept his voice down and didn't even look at Jonouchi as they navigated between the tables.

"Yeah. I work wherever I'm needed. Isn't Mokuba wit' ya?"

"No," Kaiba said as Jonouchi held out the chair for him to sit down. "And I thought you weren't allowed to speak with the guests?"

"Ya started. Anything to drink, sir?" he asked with a loud voice, since one of the supervisors just went by. Kaiba hid his small smile behind the menu but ordered both drinks and his main course.

Jonouchi served him during the evening, which wasn't half as bad as he had imagined. He hadn't been too keen on talking with the brunet in the beginning, but Kaiba kept asking him questions which Jonouchi – to his own surprise – gladly answered. Both of them kept their voices down, though, since the supervisors were roaming the restaurant, looking out like eagles. Kaiba noticed Jonouchi didn't like them and made comments about them that actually made the blond snicker. The blond found that the smile he had to fake at the beginning came naturally after a while.

Once Kaiba was gone Jonouchi went to his table to pick up the dishes, and he found that he hadn't only gotten a fair amount of tip, but also a room key. Jonouchi stared dumbly at it. He looked up and looked around, trying to see if Kaiba was still there, but the brunet was nowhere to be found.

He was still holding the key when he entered the kitchen to leave the dishes, and one of the dishwashers noticed. The boy, who was a couple of years older, grinned widely.

"Hey look, this little bugger got a key on his very first day!" The others around the room looked as well, laughed and shook their heads. Jonouchi felt a blush rise to his cheeks. Something was going on here and he didn't know what it was – and what more, he wasn't sure he wanted to know.

"Tell me – was she hot?" the boy asked, putting a friendly arm around Jonouchi's neck. Then he seemed to notice the room number. "Oh, that's one of the most expensive rooms! Well done, mate." He patted the blond's shoulder. "But I dunno who stays there; it's one of the newly arrived ones. Was she hot?" he asked yet again.

Jonouchi didn't answer and simply put away the dishes before hiding the key safely in his pocket. He'd find the brunet later and ask him what was going on. For now, he still had more than three hours of work left.

But when he finally was done he removed his stupid bowtie and rolled up the sleeves to the shirt before going over to the rooms where Kaiba was staying. The expensive rooms near the edge of the hotel area were more like apartments, and you had to hire them for at least one week. So Jonouchi knew that Kaiba had just arrived and that he would be staying for at least a week. But maybe it wouldn't be that bad, considering how he had acted today.

He knew Kaiba was in his rooms since the lights were on, and yet no one answered when he knocked at the door. He couldn't stand there and wait for long, or continue knocking, since someone might notice – and the servants weren't allowed to interact with the guests. So finally, Jonouchi used the key to unlock the door and stepped inside.

The apartments really were extremely good-looking; Jonouchi didn't think he could ever afford a _real_ apartment that looked half as good as this one. Since Kaiba was the only one staying there he only had two rooms – one that looked like a living room, with couches and a TV, and a bedroom. He had a balcony, and from it a pair of stairs led straight down to the pool.

"Kaiba?" he called out quietly.

"In here, pup." He heard from the room to his right – the bedroom.

Jonouchi walked in, suddenly nervous. He found Kaiba sitting on the bed in nothing but a pair of jeans, lazily watching TV. When Jonouchi came in however, he turned the TV off and carelessly tossed away the remote.

"Why didya…?" Jonouchi begun, but quickly trailed off as Kaiba stood up, his blue eyes dark with an emotion he couldn't quite place. The blond couldn't help but gulp as Kaiba came closer, and Jonouchi unconsciously started to back away. Kaiba reached out and took the key away from Jonouchi's fingers just as the blond's back hit the wall.

Jonouchi looked up at Kaiba – whose face was nothing but inches away from his own – genuinely scared now. He didn't know what the brunet was up to and Jonouchi was starting to think he'd done the wrong thing by coming there. But then Kaiba caught him completely off guard by reaching up and brush his fingers over Jonouchi's cheek, causing the blond to gasp slightly, and involuntarily.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Jonouchi managed to whisper; his eyes fluttering in examination of Kaiba's calm features. He didn't dare to raise his voice.

"What do you think I'm doing?" Kaiba responded in a surprisingly soft voice. Jonouchi suddenly realized what that dark look in his eyes was and his breath sped up. He gulped again and then his eyelids started falling shut as Kaiba closed in, still with his hand on Jonouchi's cheek, but in all honesty he didn't have to keep the blond in place. Jonouchi wouldn't have run away even if he could.

As their lips met, a powerful surge of… _something_ swept through Jonouchi, making him gasp and reach up to be able to grab onto Kaiba's belt and pull him closer. The brunet willingly followed, and pressed Jonouchi up against the wall as he continued to move his lips against Jonouchi's, nipping and sucking at them until the blond was shivering with desire.

Kaiba broke away after a moment, drawing a displeased whimper from Jonouchi.

"Yes?"

"Yes," Jonouchi breathed and instantly caught Kaiba's lips again.

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><p>When Jonouchi woke up the following morning he was a bit disoriented to say the least. He was also a bit sore. He simply lay there in the bed, staring up at the white ceiling for quite some time, trying to grasp what had happened. Next to him, Kaiba lay curled up close to him with his head on Jonouchi's shoulder in a way that seemed very un-Kaiba-like. Somehow, Jonouchi had expected himself to be the one to snuggle up next to the brunet, and yet it was the other way around.<p>

Kaiba was sound asleep and Jonouchi couldn't help but simply observe him for a while. His thick, long eyelashes fluttered over his cheeks in his sleep; his skin was perfectly white and smooth and even though his hair was ruffled out of its normal state it still looked good.

After a while, Jonouchi glanced to his other side and immediately cursed under his breath. According to the alarm clock on the nightstand, he should've been at work more than an hour ago.

Carefully, not to wake the brunet up, he slipped out of bed. His clothes were scattered around the room, as a reminder of what they had done last night. It still seemed so unreal, but Jonouchi's heart rate sped up as he thought back and his hands trembled as he dressed himself. He didn't quite want to think about what would happen next – was it just a one time-thing or something more? What in the world would happen when school started again and they met there?

Before leaving, Jonouchi took a final glance back and found that the brunet was half-sitting up, watching him silently. Jonouchi froze and simply looked back. Kaiba's features were calm and the blond couldn't decipher his expression at all. Was it okay for Jonouchi to simply leave? The brunet did look a bit lonely lying there by himself, and the blond couldn't help but hesitantly take a step closer to him.

"Leave," Kaiba said quietly. "It's alright."

Somehow, Jonouchi didn't believe him, but he still did what he was told.

That day he worked mostly in the bar, not mixing drinks but serving them to people all over the hotel area. It was tiring work, since he had to walk around the entire area with trays filled with drinks he weren't allowed to spill. He also weren't allowed to have a notepad, so he had to actually remember all the orders, which proved harder than he thought.

A raised hand caught his attention and he walked up to Kaiba, albeit a bit hesitantly. The brunet was sitting in the shadow of a palm tree, and he had been reading a book, but he now put it away.

"Ye'll never get tanned if ya keep sittin' in the shade like that," Jonouchi said in a way he hoped was casual. "Would ya like somethin' ta drink?"

"Aren't you supposed to call me 'sir', puppy?" Kaiba wondered, but his voice was surprisingly soft.

"_Sir_," Jonouchi added but made a slightly disgusted face, but it just made Kaiba smile a little. Jonouchi grinned as well – he sensed things were okay between the two of them. Whatever was, _was_, and they would have to deal with the consequences later. Right now, he felt too good to worry about anything.

"I'd like a Gin and Tonic. And…" He trailed off and gestured to Jonouchi to come closer, and the blond leaned in. To anyone else, it looked as if Kaiba was whispering something into the blond's ear – but he actually nibbled the lobe of Jonouchi's ear in a way that made him close his eyes in pleasure and bite his lip – before shoving a key into his hand.

Jonouchi straightened up and put the key in his pocket, but still had his hand around it. The feeling of the cool metal against his skin was enough to make his heart beats speed up. He knew what it meant.

The rest of the day couldn't move quickly enough. He kept seeing Kaiba everywhere, but always at a distance. The brunet was watching him through the crowd, and every time their eyes met Jonouchi felt a shiver of anticipation down his spine.

Once Jonouchi's shift finally was over and he was supposed to be going back to the servants' quarters, he quickly made his way over the hotel area to the expensive apartments. He moved swiftly but quietly – honestly he was a bit afraid someone would catch him, because then he'd get fired. He had been lucky the same morning since the dishwasher from last night had covered for him – he had just smiled and nodded and said he knew what it was like (which Jonouchi seriously doubted, but he still thanked him).

Jonouchi unlocked the door to Kaiba's apartment and found that he was already waiting on the bed. The blond carefully closed the door before moving over to the bed, climbing up and on top of Kaiba in a second. The nervousness he had felt the previous night wasn't as strong even though it was still there – but now he could feel his desire for the brunet pulling him in his direction – and the sight of Kaiba lying underneath him made his whole body tingle in anticipation.

Kaiba pulled his head down in a deep and passionate kiss which Jonouchi eagerly returned. It didn't take long before Kaiba managed to flip them over, however, so that he was on top. Jonouchi didn't mind at all.

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><p>Jonouchi woke up much earlier the following day, but the first thing he noticed was that Kaiba was already awake. The brunet lay on his stomach but had propped himself up on his elbows in order to be able to see the blond's face properly, and he was simply watching Jonouchi in a way that reminded the blond of how he had watched Kaiba the precious day.<p>

Suddenly, a small smile played across Kaiba's thin lips, and he bent down and kissed Jonouchi. The blond closed his eyes and felt Kaiba's hair ghost over his face. Both of them were completely quiet; the silence only disturbed by the distant bird song from outside the window.

"I should go," Jonouchi finally whispered. Kaiba didn't protest.

Sitting up, Jonouchi stretched out his arms and heard his own joints creak in protest. He grimaced a little but was just about to stand up when Kaiba held him back. Before Jonouchi could ask what he was doing he felt Kaiba's hands over his back, firmly but gently massaging from the top to the bottom. The blond relaxed with a soft groan, closed his eyes and let Kaiba do what he wanted.

It took quite a while, but when Kaiba finally was done he wound his arms around Jonouchi's waist and rested his head against the blond's shoulder. Jonouchi put his hands over Kaiba's and turned his head just a little, but he couldn't see the other's face from where he was sitting.

There was something in Kaiba's movements – something about the way he touched and kissed him – that made the blond think that there was more to his actions than just the fact that they were having amazingly good sex together. But as always, he couldn't decipher the brunet's motif for the life of him. Right now he was happy with the fact that Kaiba was treating him with more equality and warmth he had ever thought possible.

Jonouchi turned around, forcing Kaiba to let go, and gave him a final, lingering kiss before he got dressed and left.

Oddly enough, he didn't see Kaiba at all that day. The previous two days he had always seen the brunet every now and then, lying by the pool or sitting in the bar. Now he was nowhere to be found. Jonouchi's anxiousness grew more and more as the day started moving towards its end – he still hadn't seen Kaiba, and he still hadn't gotten a key.

He was a tiny bit embarrassed to admit it, but he wanted to be with Kaiba. He wanted to be taken by him again, to sleep in the same bed and most of all, to wake up next to him in the morning. He couldn't even describe the feeling he got as he met the other's intense blue eyes; the fluttering in his stomach whenever Kaiba got close to him.

By the time Jonouchi's shift ended he had made up his mind, and he went to Kaiba's apartment even though he hadn't gotten a key. This time he was even more cautious, even though he knew it should've been the other way around – if someone found him there he could simply say he was going to clean something up, but if someone found him there with a _key_…

When he reached Kaiba's room he hesitated for a moment before knocking. A minute passed by. Jonouchi quietly knocked again, the nervousness in his stomach rapidly growing. Just as he was about to leave for the sake of his own safety, he heard something on the other side and just a few seconds later, Kaiba opened. He quickly gestured Jonouchi to get inside, and the blond didn't waste any time hesitating or asking questions.

It wasn't until Kaiba had closed the door behind him that Jonouchi managed to get a good look at him. The brunet's skin was even paler than usual, and he was just a little dark underneath his eyes.

"Are ya sick?" Jonouchi immediately asked and his hand instantly came up to cup Kaiba's cheek. The brunet smiled ever so slightly and leaned in to kiss him, but he just barely brushed his lips over Jonouchi's.

"Not really. My body just can't quite take the heat. That is why I tried to stay in the shade." Jonouchi realized he must've looked worried, because Kaiba's smile grew. "I'll be fine."

Jonouchi fell silent and looked away for a moment. His hands were still around Kaiba's neck, and the brunet's hands were placed loosely on his hips, but he made no effort in trying to pull Jonouchi closer. The blond bit his lip for a moment before meeting Kaiba's questioning eyes again.

"… Can I stay here anyway?"

"Do you want to?" Kaiba wondered and seemed genuinely surprised.

"Yeah," Jonouchi said and nodded slightly. He felt his own cheeks grow hot, and he smiled shyly.

"Of course," Kaiba said with a small smile and then led him to the bed. Both of them got undressed but kept their underwear on – they knew nothing would happen tonight, and yet Jonouchi was perfectly content with simply sharing the same bed as the brunet.

Jonouchi lay on his back and Kaiba lay half on top of him, resting his head on Jonouchi's shoulder and slowly moving his fingers up and down his chest, tracing his muscles. The blond's hand was on Kaiba's back, rubbing soothing circles. Even though the brunet's skin was pale his body was burning up.

"Why didya do it?" Jonouchi quietly asked after seconds or minutes or hours of silence.

"… Honestly?" Kaiba's voice sounded a bit hoarse. "I wanted to see your reaction. In a way I didn't really expect you to show up here that night."

"But I did."

"You did," the brunet whispered and pressed his lips against Jonouchi's jawline for a moment.

"That was my first key," Jonouchi confessed, since he had realized something since that first night. Kaiba's voice was soft when he replied.

"I didn't realize. You must be fairly new here then."

Jonouchi was quiet for a few seconds and then couldn't help but chuckle under his breath.

"I like how ya just sorta implied that I'm so good-lookin' the only thing keepin' me from gettin' laid is time." For a moment, both of them were quiet – and then they both started laughing quietly at the same time. Once they were more or less done, Jonouchi tightened his hold on Kaiba and could feel the brunet do the same. Jonouchi closed his eyes in sudden pain; he didn't want to lose this. "But yeah… that was ma first day."

"It was my first day as well. I was at another hotel last week."

"Oh," Jonouchi said. "… Oh," he said again, when he realized something. "So… you've done this before?"

Kaiba's silence was enough of an answer.

With a sudden tug of pain at his heart, Jonouchi rolled over on his side with his back turned towards Kaiba. He suddenly felt used. Kaiba had been to other hotels before this one, not just this summer but probably previous ones as well – and he had always done the same thing. Jonouchi was just one among many, when he honestly had the cautious hope that it had been something more.

He felt a pair of arms wind themselves around his waist and a body being pressed against his back. He couldn't protest.

"Jonouchi…" Kaiba said quietly into his ear and said person could feel a fluttering in his chest. That was the first time in a very long while he could remember Kaiba using his real name. "I know what you think, but right now my heart belongs to you." He placed a tender kiss at the juncture between the blond's neck and shoulder. "Only you."

Jonouchi closed his eyes.

_Right now._

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><p><strong>AN:** There's going to be one more part, don't worry ;) In the meantime, the first chapter of **Emerald Roses** is up!


	2. Chapter 2

The following day Jonouchi woke up much earlier than the brunet by his side. For several minutes, the blond simply watched Kaiba. The brunet had confirmed what Jonouchi had feared; that he was only one among many; that Kaiba had done this for a long time and that he probably would continue doing it every time he came to a new hotel. But Jonouchi and Kaiba had known each other for years now – they had been enemies, but it still counted for something, right? Maybe Jonouchi would be the one to change Kaiba.

But then he sighed and rolled his eyes. That was such a typical girl-thing, wasn't it? Trying to change a bad-boy into someone nice and clean and loyal… He would never manage to do that with Kaiba. Besides, it wasn't as if Kaiba really was a bad-boy, at least not in the sense you'd normally think of.

Thinking that the brunet probably still needed some sleep – his body was still warmer than normal – Jonouchi quietly slipped out of bed and got dressed. He couldn't afford being late to work again. Before leaving, he turned around and watched Kaiba for yet another few moments; he wanted nothing more than getting back in bed with him and be there when he woke up, but he couldn't. It was too dangerous for the both of them.

Jonouchi snuck back and pressed his lips against Kaiba's forehead for a short moment. The brunet sighed in contentment as Jonouchi pulled back again, and the blond felt a tug at his heart.

As he left, he heard a door slam a few apartments away. Jonouchi instinctively pressed himself against the wall but peered around the corner in the direction of them sound. It was still very early, and a slamming door didn't seem to be part of the ordinary. Just as he thought; around the corner he could see one of the supervisors shoving a young boy in front of herself – Jonouchi recognized him as one of the towel-boys. The door the supervisor had just slammed shut opened again and revealed a girl in her mid-twenties wearing nothing but a blanket wrapped around her body. She looked rather distressed, and looked after the supervisor and boy with tears in her eyes.

It hardly took a genius to figure out what had happened. The supervisor, who was now dragging the boy after her instead, disappeared around another corner and Jonouchi let out a breath in relief. He wasn't sure as to what would happen to the boy, but he would at least be fired. Jonouchi didn't know if they could make a mark in your record in order to keep you from getting a new job, but he wouldn't take any risks.

Being extra careful, Jonouchi managed to get back to the servants' quarters just in time. The rest of the personnel seemed a bit gloomy, and Jonouchi could understand why. They were informed that the boy in question had been made redundant from his job – and they also got a lecture about how they should never ever interact with the guests. Thanks to that, they got a late start on the actual work and had to move fast in order to get everything ready before the guests started arriving for breakfast.

During the morning, Jonouchi got to work in the kitchen, doing dishes. It wasn't until the afternoon that he found that Kaiba had actually left his room and was sitting in the bar. Jonouchi gave him a discreet smile as he walked by and picked up his empty glass and, along with it, a room key.

"Did you just get a key?" one of the other waiters asked once they were in the safety of the kitchen – the supervisors never went in there. Jonouchi quickly shoved it down his pocket. "Dude, you gotta be careful. I heard one guy got fired just this morning!"

"Yeah, I know. He was on my team."

"That's rough, buddy," the other waiter said and patted Jonouchi's shoulder even though it didn't really seem as if he cared. "Thing is, the supervisors get angrier each time it happens… and if you should get caught as well…"

"I know, I know," Jonouchi said angrily and waved away the other's hand. "I'll be careful."

Jonouchi forced himself to more or less stay away from Kaiba for the remainder of the day – he had already gotten his key after all – and also tried to keep out of the supervisors' way. He liked them less and less, and he didn't even know how he'd manage to put up with them once Kaiba was gone.

During the dinner, however, something unexpected happened. He got another key.

There had been a woman in her mid-twenties, quite good-looking but in this slightly fake, obviously rich way. She had been flirting with Jonouchi every time he went by their table – despite the fact that her, quite a lot older, husband was sitting right next to her. He didn't seem to notice anything; he was completely mesmerized by his wife's beauty – but someone else did notice.

Kaiba was sitting a few tables away and he had been observing both Jonouchi and the couple at the table. Right before the couple left, the woman lay down a key right at the table, in plain view. Jonouchi resisted the temptation of slapping his hand across his forehead – was she dumb or was she dumb? – and could practically sense Kaiba raise one eyebrow over where he was sitting.

He waited a beat, then picked up the key and followed the couple.

"Excuse me, miss," Jonouchi called out in English. Both she and her husband turned around, but she had a pink tint to her cheeks while he looked surprised. "Your key."

She stared uncomprehendingly at him until her obliviously smiling husband took the key from Jonouchi's hand.

"Thank you, son," he said and gave Jonouchi a little tip. Jonouchi smiled and nodded and went to pick up their plates. He could feel something almost like _pride_ oozing off Kaiba and hitting him in warm waves, and Jonouchi couldn't help but smirk as he took out the dishes, even though he carefully avoided eye contact with the brunet.

However, one of the supervisors stopped him by putting a hand on his shoulder right before he went into the kitchen.

"Well done, Jonouchi," she said and gave him a rare smile.

When he came into the kitchen he was greeted with applause and cheers, and quite a few pats on the back. Jonouchi grinned and shrugged and said that it was for the best and that she wasn't his type. At least now the supervisors wouldn't be all over them all the time.

* * *

><p>"You're my little puppy, aren't you?"<p>

"Yes," Jonouchi breathed as Kaiba moved his lips along his jawline. "I am." He admitted it; his heart belonged to Kaiba just as much as the brunet's heart belonged to him – and he wanted the other to know.

Kaiba pulled away and simply looked Jonouchi into his eyes for a moment. Jonouchi himself could never grow tired of the view; Kaiba hovering above him, almost completely naked, and his wonderfully blue eyes dark with desire. The blond didn't ever want to lose it. His smile faded, which Kaiba noticed, and he looked almost worried.

Jonouchi drew in a deep breath and finally said the words he partly dreaded and partly really, really wanted to say:

"I think I love ya."

Kaiba's eyes widened slightly, but other than that he didn't really respond. Jonouchi could feel his eyes starting to fill up with tears for the first time – partly because he felt like he had to keep the eye contact, but mostly because at the moment he felt so heartbroken he didn't know what to do. It hadn't been his intention to fall in love with the brunet, and it certainly hadn't been Kaiba's intention to make Jonouchi fall in love with him.

"But that was never yer intention, was it?" Jonouchi continued quietly, voicing his inner thoughts. "Ya just wanted ta have some fun." He felt a sob rise in his chest and closed his eyes, unconsciously clenching his hand over his chest; right over his heart. It hurt like hell, and he hated that Kaiba saw him like that, but he couldn't hold it in any longer. "Ya just… ya just w-wanted some fun."

He was crying now, really crying. Then he suddenly felt a pair of lips ghost across his face, just barely touching his cheeks, lips, eyelids, forehead and nose. He stopped crying out of sheer surprise and opened his eyes; Kaiba had his eyes closed but continued over Jonouchi's face – kissed the corner of his mouth, his temples, his jawline.

"I'm sorry," he murmured between the kisses. "I'm so sorry."

Jonouchi closed his eyes again and the tears kept coming – Kaiba didn't deny any of the things Jonouchi had said. After a moment, the brunet lay down next to him but dragged the blond with him, flipping their positions so Jonouchi was at the top. Kaiba held him close and allowed him to cry against his chest.

Eventually, his crying subsided and he simply lay there. Kaiba was still rubbing soothing circles on his back, still holding him with the same strength. Jonouchi knew he should've gotten out of there; if Kaiba couldn't love him back he shouldn't stay there – he shouldn't try to get something he couldn't have. But he didn't have the strength to walk away from Kaiba; he needed to be with him.

"I hate ya, Kaiba."

"I know," Kaiba responded quietly, and he sounded almost sad.

"When are ya leavin'?" Jonouchi stared at Kaiba's jawline, which was more or less all he could see from the position he was in, and grasped at his shoulder, digging his fingers deep into the brunet's skin and not caring if he left a mark.

"In two days, but I'm not going home. I'm going to another hotel."

Jonouchi's grip tightened even more.

"An' then yer jus' goin' ta do this again."

"No. I won't."

For a moment it all felt too unreal. Jonouchi's eyes widened but he still couldn't see anything but the lower part of Kaiba's face – his grip on the brunet's shoulder lessened. All Jonouchi could hear was his own and Kaiba's breaths, and the brunet's heartbeats underneath his ear.

Then Jonouchi forced himself up so he could look down at Kaiba's face – the brunet was completely serious, but his deep blue eyes were rueful. Jonouchi simply looked at him, unable to process what he had said, until Kaiba gave up a sorrowful smile and reached up to brush his fingers over the blond's cheek. Jonouchi closed his eyes and leaned into the touch; over the past days he had grown so used to it he knew he couldn't stand being away from it for very long.

"Did you think I wasn't being serious when I said my heart belongs to you?" Kaiba wondered; his voice nothing more than a whisper.

"Ya said 'right now'," Jonouchi said and he knew his voice sounded pained. He _was_ pained; he honestly did know what to believe. It wasn't that he thought Kaiba would outright lie to him or anyone, but bending the truth was something he seemed to be more than capable of.

"I know what I said, and I'm sorry." Jonouchi kept his gaze for a moment before looking away. Kaiba's hand was still cupping his cheek and it felt as if the touch was burning at his skin. "You don't believe me," Kaiba finally said.

"I don't fuckin' know what ta believe," Jonouchi said and a sudden surge of rage flowed through him. He tried to roll off Kaiba and get out of there, but the brunet held him in place. Jonouchi shot him a burning glare but saw that Kaiba looked just as sad as before, and it made the blond's anger melt right away again and he stopped struggling.

"What do I have to do to make you believe me?"

Jonouchi looked down – he couldn't take looking into Kaiba's completely serious eyes for long – and simply shook his head. He could see and hear how honest the brunet was and in a way it scared him, but in his eyes he didn't see what he wanted to see; love. Jonouchi closed his eyes for a moment and then met Kaiba's eyes again.

"Love me," the blond whispered. "If ya love me… then love me."

Without hesitating, Kaiba reached up and placed his hands around Jonouchi's neck, pulling him down in a deep and fervent kiss. Jonouchi gave up and gave in; he let Kaiba do what he wanted even though he couldn't say he believed the brunet just yet. He would have to prove it, somehow.

* * *

><p>When Jonouchi woke up Kaiba's arms were firmly wrapped around his body, as if he wanted to keep the blond where he was. It worked as well; Jonouchi knew he wouldn't manage to sneak out of bed without waking the brunet up. Instead he simply lay there.<p>

What if Kaiba was being serious – what if he really did love the blond? If that was the case then Jonouchi was really acting unfairly; he didn't believe the brunet despite all the things he'd done. Jonouchi still loved him, of course. So why was it so hard for him to believe Kaiba?

Kaiba stirred and let out a deep breath. Jonouchi moved his fingers over the brunet's back and he let out a contented sound before slowly opening his eyes. The blond didn't even greet him with a smile, but Kaiba still stretched his neck and placed a tender kiss by the corner of Jonouchi's mouth. Guilt started eating away at Jonouchi's mind, and yet he couldn't bring himself to say it:

_I believe you._

"I hafta go," Jonouchi quietly said.

"Stay," Kaiba immediately responded. Then he smiled, just a little. "Stay with me in bed and have mind-blowingly good sex all day."

Jonouchi couldn't help but smirk a little. That did sound tempting.

But then his smile faded again.

"… One guy got fired yesterday. After he'd slept wit' one of the guests." He looked down and met Kaiba's questioning gaze. "I can't afford ta do that."

"I see. But I can only let you go on one condition."

"Whussat?" Jonouchi raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"That you come back this evening."

Jonouchi frowned a little. Why wouldn't he come back? He had done that all the previous nights, even when he hadn't gotten a key. It was almost like Kaiba was afraid that he had scared him away after confessing that he did have feelings as well after all.

"'Course I'll come back," Jonouchi said and smiled. He bent down and kissed Kaiba, more for the brunet's sake than his own. It wasn't until then Kaiba let him go and allowed him to get dressed. But before Jonouchi left, he looked back one final time and saw the brunet lying there simply watching him.

This time he really did look sad, and lonely as well. Jonouchi hesitated, but then went back and pressed his lips against Kaiba's forehead.

"I'll be back," he promised.

That day, Jonouchi worked mostly as a towel-boy down at the beach and as a dishwasher in the main restaurant, so he didn't see Kaiba a lot – and therefor the brunet didn't get a chance to give him a key. At first, Jonouchi was afraid, because he thought he would hesitate in going to Kaiba's room without an invitation, but he found that he didn't. Despite everything that had happened, despite everything Kaiba had said, Jonouchi still wanted to go back there. He still needed to be with Kaiba, and he would even risk his much needed job in order to do that.

Kaiba instantly opened the door when Jonouchi knocked, and the blond practically fell into his arms. The brunet pushed the door close and held Jonouchi tight, burying his nose in the blond's shoulder.

"You came back," he murmured.

"Of course I did."

* * *

><p>When Jonouchi woke up the following morning he had no intention of going anywhere. Kaiba would leave the next day and he wanted to spend as much time with the brunet as possible, even if that meant not going to work and thereby risking it.<p>

He lay still and absently ran his fingers through Kaiba's hair, moving his other hand over the brunet's body – or at least any part he could reach from where he was laying. He knew every curve, every smooth patch of skin – he had learned them during these past few days – and he loved every single part of it. At first, he too had thought it had been nothing more than mindless sex, but that changed more quickly than he had thought was possible.

Jonouchi felt the brunet stir and put one hand on his cheek, forcing his face up so when he opened his eyes he looked directly into Jonouchi's own. Kaiba looked a bit surprised, but happy.

"Hey…" the blond whispered, and then smiled. "I love ya."

Kaiba's eyes widened a little, and then a small but genuine smile spread across his face.

"I love you too," he said quietly, almost shyly, and reached up to be able to press their lips together. Jonouchi let out a contented sound and closed his eyes in pure bliss. Kaiba pulled away far too soon and looked over Jonouchi at the alarm clock on the nightstand. "You're late for work," he said, and he actually sounded worried.

"I'll call in sick," Jonouchi responded and watched in some amusement as Kaiba's eyes widened again when he understood. Still smirking, Jonouchi rolled over and reached for the phone, but Kaiba stopped him.

"They can probably tell where you're calling from if you use that phone," he said and reached for his clothes on the floor. He held out a cellphone for Jonouchi. "Use this."

"Yer a smart one, aren't ya?"

Kaiba smirked ever so slightly as Jonouchi made the call, and the blond made sure he sounded as miserable as possible. The supervisor who had picked up didn't sound too happy, but let it pass since the health of the guests was more important than forcing a servant to work. Just as Jonouchi hung up Kaiba got up from the bed and went out of the room. The blond pushed the button and then called out after the brunet.

"Hey, where are ya goin'?"

"I'm going to hang a 'Do not disturb'-sign on the door," Kaiba answered from the other room and Jonouchi couldn't help but grin wildly.

The two of them stayed in bed for the most part that day, simply enjoying being close. Kaiba ordered room service when they got hungry and the servants left the small cart filled with food just outside the door.

However, as the day started to fade into night, Jonouchi got sadder and sadder – a pain tugging at his heart again and it was as if a hole was growing inside his chest. He fell silent, and even though Kaiba tried to start a conversation the blond didn't have the strength to answer. Instead he simply lay there, half on top of Kaiba, with his head resting on the brunet's shoulder and one arm around his waist.

"What's wrong?" Kaiba finally asked and pressed his lips against Jonouchi's forehead for a lingering moment.

Jonouchi felt his lower lip tremble. Then it was as if something burst inside him.

"Yer not even gone yet and I already miss ya! It's not fair!" He clung to Kaiba as if he was about to drown and the brunet was the only thing keeping him up; he hid his face in the other's chest and sobbed violently against his skin. Kaiba simply held him and gently stroked his back without saying anything.

It wasn't until Jonouchi's crying subsided and he only sniffled quietly every once in a while that Kaiba spoke up in a soft voice.

"I can't believe you've grown so attached to me in nothing but days."

"I know," Jonouchi sighed, but it wasn't a negative sound. "Me neither." They fell silent for a while until the feeling the blond had grew so strong he couldn't escape it any longer: he had to explain himself. "The thing is… even though it was jus' sex in the beginnin', I never thought ya could be so… I dunno… gentle towards me."

Kaiba was quiet for such a long time Jonouchi was starting to wonder if he had done the right thing by telling him, but then he bent down and pressed his lips against the blond's forehead, and Jonouchi smiled.

"When you came to me, that day I wasn't feeling well… you came to me even though you didn't have a key. You came because you cared."

Jonouchi's smile widened and he tightened his grip on the brunet. Then he suddenly realized something and sat bolt right up, leaning in over Kaiba. His blue eyes were a little widened in surprise and his mouth slightly open. The blond frowned.

"Now hang on, ya can't put the blame on that," Jonouchi said and his voice was harsh. That couldn't be the reason Kaiba had started to develop feelings for him as well, because… "The day before that… ya gave me a massage when I was feelin' sore. An' that wasn't… I mean…"

Kaiba slowly closed his mouth and his eyebrows went down just a little bit. Jonouchi gulped.

"Don't tell me… ya…" the blond begun; his breath speeding up. "… didya already have feelin's for me?" His voice was incredulous. Kaiba didn't answer – but he didn't look away either. "Kaiba!" Jonouchi said, offended, and rolled off the brunet.

He lay on his back next to him in bed, but hardly got any chance to think about what he had discovered. Kaiba had feelings for him all along and had just pretended not to? Then again, the brunet had never said that he didn't have feelings – Jonouchi had just assumed he hadn't and suffered while he slowly fell in love with what used to be his arch enemy.

Only a split second later, Kaiba was on top of him instead and leaned in over him. His blue eyes were full of sadness and regret, and Jonouchi could hardly stay mad at him.

"I'm sorry," was all he said and searched the blond's eyes for something – what, Jonouchi had no idea.

"Why didn't ya tell me before?" Jonouchi asked quietly and tore his eyes away from Kaiba's own; looking at the hand he placed over the brunet's heart instead. Kaiba covered the hand with his own and gently squeezed it.

"It would've scared you away, wouldn't it?"

"Wait, how… how long are we talkin' 'bout here?"

"… I don't know. A couple of months?" the brunet said cautiously.

"Kaiba!" Jonouchi repeated and felt the other's hand tighten around his own. They stayed quiet for a while. "So… instead ya lured me to ya with amazingly good sex," Jonouchi said and pouted. He heard Kaiba chuckle quietly and couldn't help but smile himself. He really couldn't stay mad at him; he remembered how afraid he had been of telling Kaiba about his own feelings.

Then a pair of soft lips suddenly covered his own and he let out a soft moan that sounded almost like a sigh. Kaiba was here with him now, which was all that mattered. But this had been the brunet's last full day at the hotel, and tomorrow he was leaving to stay at another hotel.

Jonouchi broke away.

"Yer leavin' tomorrow."

"I know," Kaiba said and sounded pained. He placed a kiss by the corner of Jonouchi's mouth. "But that reminds me. I have something to give you."

"Really?"

Kaiba didn't answer, but bent down and reached for something lying on the floor. Jonouchi guessed he had it in one of his pockets, but their clothes had been lying on the floor since the night before. He couldn't help but smirk as he thought back to everything they had done the last twenty-four hours, but then his thoughts were interrupted by Kaiba holding out his hand towards him.

Jonouchi accepted the small object and studied it in the dim light. It was a key, but he immediately knew it wasn't a room key – it was much bigger, and in a completely different style.

"Where does this go?"

"To my heart."

Jonouchi smiled. "That's sweet. But where does it go, really?" he asked curiously. Kaiba chuckled.

"That's for me to know and you to find out." Jonouchi rolled his eyes, but Kaiba wasn't done. "I also wanted to promise you something. I promise that I won't sleep with anyone else while I'm at the other hotel." He leaned forward and kissed Jonouchi thoroughly. "Should I break this vow, may I be trampled into the sand by camels and scattered among the ordure of the fields."

Jonouchi laughed for a good while and Kaiba placed several light kisses all over his face.

"Is that an ol' Egyptian vow?"

Kaiba nodded and smirked, but then got serious again. "Be careful when you use it – it invariably comes true."

"An' ya know this… how?" Jonouchi asked but didn't expect an answer. "Yanno, even if ya hadn't made that promise I didn't think ye'd sleep wit' anyone else. I have faith in ya."

"I just wanted you to be sure."

Jonouchi smiled and placed his arms around the brunet's neck, drawing him down in a deep, passionate kiss. This was his last night there after all.

* * *

><p>Several weeks later Jonouchi, tanned and completely out of breath since he had run after being hit with a sudden realization, stood just outside the Kaiba mansion. He looked up at the huge door; looked up at the seemingly empty and dark windows, and gulped. He hadn't seen Kaiba or even spoken to him since the brunet's last night at the hotel, and Jonouchi had missed him like crazy. He didn't know if Kaiba had missed him or not.<p>

With trembling hands, Jonouchi took out a piece of string hanging around his neck, and in it hung the key he had gotten from Kaiba – he had the key around his neck during the whole summer. He pulled with all his might and the string snapped in two. He couldn't stop his hands from shaking as he reached out and inserted the key in the keyhole, slowly turning it. He heard a tiny click from inside the lock.

The door swung open.

"Hello, puppy."


End file.
